Aromatic Overtures – Indo-Dutch centre for excellence (CoE) opened in Kerala to enrich Floriculture

Exploring the possibilities of making Kerala’s Wayanad district into an agri-hotri tourism spot, a tissue culture laboratory has been set up as part of the project for producing rich planting materials. 

The Indo-Dutch CoE was inaugurated recently by Kerala’ s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan through a virtual event, it will showcase the best technical practices  developed by Netherlands in floriculture and vegetable cultivation.

 

Presiding the virtual inauguration of CoE, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said,” the centre will not only benefit Kerala but the entire nation by showcasing technological accomplishments of  Netherlands such as production and distribution of quality planting materials and seeds to farmers. It will showcase post-harvest handling, storage and marketing of produce for farmers. It will offer training programmes for officers for enhancing income of farmers.”

 

This is the second such research institute to be opened in collaboration with Netherlands , the first CoE was opened for vegetables in Baramati in Maharashtra in 2017.

 

Jan-Kees Goet, Secretary General, Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, said in the inaugural address that the Centers of Excellence are the backbone of the cooperation between the Dutch and the Indian government.